A criminal case of swindling, exceeding official powers, and complicity therein has been initiated against 51-year-old deputy of the village council Igor Bubekov and 44-year-old Chairwoman of the Financial and Budgetary Chamber of the Muslyumovsky District Executive Committee Nailya Bubekova.

In Tatarstan, 51-year-old deputy of the village council Igor Bubekov and his 44-year-old Nailya Bubekova are suspected of embezzling funds for the construction of bridges in the Muslyumovo village, Business Online reports. Bubekova is chairwoman of the Financial and Budgetary Chamber of the Muslyumovsky District Executive Committee and deputy chairwoman of the commission for selection of suppliers in the procurement sector to meet the needs of district customers. A criminal case of Swindling (Art. 159 of the Russian Criminal Code), Exceeding Official Powers (Art. 286), and Complicity in Exceeding Official Powers (part 5 of Art. 33, part 1 of Art. 286).

According to the investigation, in August 2016, director and founder of Timerche LLC and ElektroArmatura LLC Bubekov found out about the allocation of budgetary funds for the construction of an arch and cable bridge for the Ik river embankment in Muslyumovo. Without holding an auction and concluding a municipal contract, he made bridges (through his companies) and presented documents to the customer, indicating costs that were not corresponding to reality.

Bubekova drew up fake documents on holding auctions and concluding municipal contracts, according to which, the Khozyaystvennoe Obespechenie Municipal Unitary Enterprise (MUE) of the Muslyumovsky District was appointed the bidding winner. Over 5.9 million rubles ($103,663) entered the MUE settlement account from the budget, which were then transferred to the accounts of Bubekov’s companies with the participation of Bubekova in November 2016.

The embezzlement was exposed in February 2018 by officers of the ICR Investigations Directorate and the Tatarstan MIA Department of Economic Security and Anti-Corruption. It was found out that the actual cost of manufacturing the arch bridge was 411 thousand rubles ($7,221), and that of the cable bridge was 694 thousand rubles ($12,193).

The Bubekovs have acknowledged their involvement in the fraudulent scheme. The investigation of their case is ongoing; all the circumstances of the embezzlement are being established.